


cinematic lovers at heart

by markbumficfest



Series: Markbum Fic Exchange 2018 [3]
Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Dual perspectives, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, minor Jingyeom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 23:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17212499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/markbumficfest/pseuds/markbumficfest
Summary: Jaebum’s always liked watching movies; he swears film is storytelling at its finest. But it’s not until he asks his best friend Mark to be his pretend boyfriend that he realizes life’s not a romantic comedy.





	cinematic lovers at heart

**Author's Note:**

> for morkzone
> 
> full fanart: [here](https://www.dropbox.com/s/r5ij7w86no4d25p/CINEMATIC%20LOVERS.png?dl=0)

  1. **MARK**



**_  
_**_(This was a mistake, Mark thinks.  
  
As he sits in his _boyfriend’s _lap, pretending to laugh at whatever inappropriate joke the annoying guy next to them just made. As he looks around the party they are at and sees the abundance of drunk college students, dancing, screaming, making out with each other.  
  
He watches Jaebum and sees the smile on his face, so happy and carefree. Looking like he's in love with Mark, like this isn’t all some arrangement they made. Looks at him like this isn't just to make Jaebum's ex-boyfriend, Jinyoung, jealous. Like he actually cares about how Mark feels, and what he wants, and how all of this shit might actually be affecting him.  
  
But it is just an arrangement, and he doesn't actually care. So Mark just sits there, drinks his lukewarm beer, and forces his love back down his throat with it.)_  


## ### ##

**_  
_** “Hey,” Mark answers the phone without checking who’s calling. He's typing away some last minute assignment that he has due in a few hours.  
  
“Hi,” the sound of Jaebum's voice is one he's known for what feel like his entire life. He doesn't need to look at the caller ID to know who’s speaking.

It’s silent for a handful of seconds and Mark almost forgets that Jaebum's on the line. He’s so preoccupied, it isn't until the latter clears his throat and speaks up again that Mark focuses back on their conversation.  
  
“So there's this party,” Jaebum begins to tell him about another one of the events going on at their friend Youngjae’s fraternity house. Mark’s been to a few of those, he won't lie, he's had fun. But he tired right now— he doesn't need people screaming in his face all night.  
  
“And Jinyoung will be there?” He cuts off Jaebum from whatever excuse he was trying to make for Mark to come. Mark knows why Jaebum wants him there— because of _him,_ because of Park Jinyoung.

He thinks to back to what the younger had said, how devastated he was Jinyoung broke up with him. When Jaebum asks Mark to be his pretend boyfriend, it’s while the two are hanging around their dorm room. The former’s halfway drunk, but Mark’s completely sober.  
  
“ _I just don't understand why. I thought he loved me.” There's a slight mumble to his words. He’s laying across Mark’s lap where they’re seated on their tiny two person couch that they bought for twenty four dollars and nineteen cents.  
  
“He did, Jaebum, I’m sure, but life happens,” Mark’s not the best at consoling people, but he's trying. “People change. Not everyone-”  
  
“But I love him, Mark.”  
  
Mark thinks for a second before saying anything back. “Well maybe he'll come to his senses and beg for you to take him back. A Say Anything moment. He'll be your Lloyd Dobler with a boombox.”  
  
Jaebum laughs and Mark feels successful. “That's not really how the movie goes, Mark. But do you really think so, do you think Jinyoung will want me back?”  
  
If Mark’s honest, he doesn't think so. There's a reason the two broke up, just like any other couple. When he thinks about it, there is maybe a 47% chance the two will get back together. They’re college students, all people do is break up and get back together. But Jinyoung and Jaebum, they're not like everyone else._

_Mark and Jaebum have been bestfriends since freshman year of highschool when the older boy had just transferred to Korea and didn't know anyone.  
  
But Jaebum met Jinyoung sophomore year of university; they're all juniors now. When Jinyoung and Jaebum were together, the youngest had always tended to get quite jealous. He had to be after seeing Jaebum come back to their dorm late night because he had spent the last three hours playing video games with Mark.  
  
So no, Mark doesnt think Jinyoung will want Jaebum back. Not because he isn't a great guy, but because things just don't always work out.  
  
He tells Jaebum otherwise, though, “Of course_.”

  
Mark's still lost in thought until Jaebum answers his question. “Well yeah, but-”  
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll come. I said I’d help you make him jealous, didn't I?”  
  
That was the goal, to make him jealous. Maybe in the beginning it worked, maybe Jinyoung had been a little riled up at the way Mark would be attached to Jaebum's hip and how they always seemed happy.  
  
But now Mark doesn't know. Jinyoung hasn’t spared them a glance in the last week. And to Mark, it seems pretty obvious that he not coming back to Jaebum any time soon. Mark doesn't understand why he and Jaebum are even doing this. Why Jaebum's been so adamant about taking him out almost every night for the last five days.  
  
“I know that, it's just-”  
  
“I gotta go, pick me up whenever.” Mark hangs up the phone. It’s the first time he’s looked up from his laptop screen to in an hour. He doesn't go anywhere. He just sits and stares at the ceiling, groans loudly in his empty room, then continues his work.  


## ### ##

**_  
_** Mark seethes, grits his teeth. It’s 10PM. The night’s still early and Mark hasn’t done anything he regrets. Well, aside from maybe drinking his weight in alcohol. But he doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. 

They’ve only been here for around half an hour. Mark stuck around with Jaebum of course, making irrelevant conversation and saying his mandatory hellos to friends and teammates. Not only twenty minutes in, he excuses himself to go to the bathroom. He doesn’t really go there though; the line is too long and he doesn’t actually have to pee. He just wants to get away from Jaebum for a second.

So instead, he makes his way to the kitchen. It’s less hectic, most people usually gathered in the living room areas or outside during these things.

Maybe it isn’t the best idea, but Mark tries to think of why he likes Jaebum. He needs some sort of catharsis to get through this and talking about things to himself has always helped.

He doesn't know when it happens. They've been best friends for what feels like a lifetime. If Mark was asked to name the specific date and time at which he started liking Jaebum, he wouldn't be able to. The best he can say is that it was about a year ago.  
  
Which, coincidentally, is around the same time that Jaebum began dating Jinyoung. And yeah maybe that's how he realized he liked Jaebum, but it’s not the reason why. He wasn't just jealous.   
  
Nothing was instantaneous. Falling in love with Im Jaebum was a process that spanned over their years of them growing up together. He remembers going to high school with him— skipping class sometimes, hanging out together at his house, studying for tests they were probably going to flunk anyway.  
  
Jaebum's kind hearted and loving; he cares about people so easily. And maybe even too much that it gets him in trouble sometimes. But he's a good person, and Mark would never let him get hurt.  
  
Mark's always been so comfortable with the younger. They never had to keep secrets from each other. Mark could tell him anything and everything he wanted. He makes Mark laugh and smile, cheers him up when everything is too much and he feels like he just _can't take it anymore._  
  
And of course, Mark's always found Jaebum attractive. His dark hair and handsome smile, the two little moles above his left eye, his slightly toned abs that always show when he’s b-boying during a performance.

It all hurts him, so he stops thinking about it. It’s his fault anyway, he's the one who agreed to this in the first place.

Mark takes another beer and it’s just as bad as the last. He scans the area, eyes subject to the sight of his drunk classmates, some of whose names he knows, others he doesn’t. Then he sees Jinyoung with that boy, _Yugyeom_. They're laughing, having fun, standing as close as couples stand. It makes Mark angry.

Mark doesn't understand how Jinyoung stopped loving Jaebum. Doesn't understand what not to love about him. About the way he laughs and smiles. About how passionate gets when he's talking about something he loves. Like the way a song by his favorite artist plays the bass on the off beat or the writing in his new favorite book that week or the cinematography and narration of his favorite movie or and how _it just sounds so cool, Mark.  
  
_He's mad at Jinyoung, the boy practically broke his best friend’s heart. Even before Mark was sure of feelings for Jaebum, he never thought the two made the best pair. Jaebum is carefree, he likes spontaneity and doing things his own way. It’s more fun, more exciting to him like that. But Jinyoung’s the opposite. He likes schedules and planning things out, for everything to be done exactly how it’s supposed to. Mark’s heard countless times that opposite attract, though it seemed like for them, that wasn't the case. 

But he's always made Jaebum happy, and that's all Mark really cared about.  
  
He looks away. What Jinyoung and Yugyeom do is their own business. Mark doesn't feel like he has a right to demand anything from the two. (Except for maybe a more decent apology to Jaebum.)  
  
He turns towards the living room instead and almost immediately catches Jaebum’s eye. He's calling him over, rapidly waving arm to catch Mark’s attention from across the room. Mark just smiles back, grabs a drink for Jaebum, and starts walking over.  
  
“Hi,” Mark beams.  
  
“Come sit,” before Mark can reply, Jaebum’s already pulling him into his lap. “Are you okay? You were gone for awhile.”  
  
He frowns a little and it makes Mark’s heart hurt. “Yeah, I’m fine don’t worry. The line was long.” 

“Oh.”

Mark doesn’t know what else to say so he holds out the red solo cup in his left hand for Jaebum to take, “Uh, I brought you a drink.” He’s clumsy though, and ends up tipping it over so some gets on the couch.

“How sweet,” Jaebum takes the cup with an adorable smile and places a small kiss on Mark’s cheek. It makes him a little flustered. “Don’t I have the best boyfriend ever?”  
  
The next twenty minutes are a blur of drunken screaming and bad pop songs being played on some speakers. He talks to some of the guys on the other sports teams and laughs just because he feels like he should. It's a little uncomfortable sitting on Jaebum’s lap and eventually Mark shifts on to an open spot on the couch when he notices the couple that had been there had left.  
  
Mark’s just about done with the party. Beer’s been spilled on him countless times and everyone’s probably half deaf by now. He's sticky, uncomfortable, and tired. 

To make matters worse, Jinyoung and Yugyeom have somehow ended up next to them. There’s about nine, maybe eleven, people total in this area of the party that they’ve unintentionally secluded to themselves.  
  
He's about to say something to Jaebum. Maybe to tell him he has to go to the bathroom again or to ask if they can leave, he's not quite sure. But before he can, he's interrupted by another one of the irritatingly loud yells he's been subject to the whole night.  
  
This time it comes from some kid named Bambam. Mark’s never seen him before, but he looks way too young to be a college student. The guy’s been drinking all night and Mark doesn’t know how he’s still standing. “Let’s play a game!” 

Everyone makes some sort of noise of agreement; Not Mark, though.  
  
“What kind?” Jaebum asks and Mark’s a little shocked. Jaebum’s not much of a party person either. It’s not his scene. Mark doesn’t understand why he’s been going to so many these things recently, let alone agreeing to play dumb games at them. He guesses it’s probably his way of dealing with the break up.  
  
“Oh!” The guy next to Bambam— Jackson, if Mark remembers correctly from the beginning of the night —is practically yelling in his ear. “How about seven minutes in heaven!”  
  
Mark groans, but it’s inaudible under all the noise around him. He’s always thought games like these were uneventful and pointless. They're not high schoolers at some after prom party. And out of all games, this just has to be the stupidest. Still, he participates.  
  
“Let's spin the bottle a choose who goes first!”  
  
Mark thinks it’s childish and he sighs again. He’s trying not to be a _buzzkill_ , as Jaebum says he is sometimes, but he can’t really help it.

Mark’s too busy thinking about it to realize someone’s already grabbed an empty beer bottle from the ground and is clearing a small space in front of them. They make a circle that's really is more like an elongated blob. Some people are sitting, others standing. Mark and Jaebum are still on the couch.  
  
Jaebum is awarded the honor of going first. Mark thinks it's more of a punishment.  
  
“Woo, let’s go Jaebum! Someone's getting laid tonight!”  
  
The comment bothers Mark but he ignores it.  
  
Jaebum gets up from his seats and moves to the floor. With the sound of dissonant cheering and trashy music in the background, he spins the bottle. It starts off fast and continues turning in circles for what seems like a few minutes more than it should before finally slowing down and landing on someone.  
  
Jinyoung.  
  
“Oh.” It's the first time Mark’s heard Jinyoung speak in a few minutes. That’s not odd, though, Jinyoung's never been much of a talker in general. But now that Mark thinks about it, maybe it was just around him.  
  
Jaebum's mimics his _oh_ and the two are looking at each other for an awkward amount of time in Mark's opinion. There's a weird tension and everyone who doesn't know that Jaebum and Jinyoung are exes are probably just confused.    
  
Mark thinks Jaebum is probably happy now; he's getting his shot with Jinyoung again and that should be good. But to Mark, it’s not. As dumb as it sounds, he wants to be the one that has to be locked in a closet with Jaebum for trivial party entertainment, because Mark doesn’t mind being with Jaebum anywhere, under any circumstance. He wants to be the one that Jaebum is putting so much effort into getting the attention of. He wants to be Jaebum’s real boyfriend, not his fake one.  
  
Mark hates feeling this way, he knows he shouldn’t. If Jaebum's happy, then he should be too.  
  
It’s quiet for a minute, but Jaebum speaks up first. “Look, we don't have to do this. It’s just a game.”  
  
Mark doesn't understand why Jaebum seems so hesitant. This is what he had wanted in the first place, the whole reason they've been pretending to be boyfriends for a devastatingly long two weeks. He’s about to tell Jaebum that he should go for it when Jinyoung does first.  
  
“No, it's okay. I want to.”  
  
Mark doesn't miss the way Yugyeom's face falls. Or the way he's glaring death rays at the back of Jaebum’s head. 

There’s no more discussing, because it seems like as soon as Jinyoung gives the okay, they're being pushed into some random closet.   
  
Someone sets a timer and they all start placing bets about what Jinyoung and Jaebum are doing in there. Mark just sinks further into his seat.  
  
Thirty seconds pass.  
  
Then a minute.

Then two.  
  
Mark loses track of how much time has gone by. It could have been an hour or fifteen seconds, he doesn't know. All he can think about is how Jaebum’s probably confessing his love to Jinyoung like the annoying romantic he is. All he can think about is how Jaebum's probably kissing Jinyoung the way he always did when they were dating.  
  
Instead of waiting for Jaebum, he decides to leave.  
  
A few people call after him asking where he's going, but he doesn't say anything back.  
  
He rubs at his eyes with the side of his hand. But Mark’s not crying. He’s not a crier.  
  
    

☆☆☆☆☆

 

  1. **JAEBUM**



_(I like him, Jaebum thinks.  
  
As he looks at Mark’s face from where he's sitting on top of Jaebum's legs, an arm wrapped around his shoulder tightly. As he sees Mark laugh with all the happiness in the world at something the jock next to them says, sees that laugh that he loves so much, it makes his heart ache.  
  
He watches how much Mark thrives at this party, how sociable he is, how everyone seems to be lining up to talk to the boy because they enjoy his company just as much as Jaebum. The only exception being that no one cares about Mark the way Jaebum does.  
  
They don't feel the way Jaebum gets butterflies in his stomach. The way Jaebum thinks he might smile himself to death everytime he sees Mark.   
  
And Jaebum wants to tell him all of this, wants to so badly, but he can’t. Doesn't know how to. So instead he just sits there, pulls Mark closer, and smiles with everything he wants to say behind bared teeth.)_  


## ### ##

 

  
Jaebum's palms are sweaty he's nervous. He wants to ask Mark to this party, wants to really ask him. Not as a way to make Jinyoung jealous, but as an actual date. Not as _pretend boyfriends._ He and Mark share a dorm, but he doesn't have the guts to go back there and ask the older in person.  
  
Instead, he opts to call him. He’s walking across campus and pulls his phone out from his back pocket as he heads to the small courtyard area near his next class.

The phone rings two and a half times before Mark answers. Not that he was counting. _  
  
_“Hey.”  
  
“Hi!” Jaebum kind of yells into the receiver and he silently winces at how eager he sounds. He pauses, coughs a little before continuing. “So there's this party and I-”  
  
The last few words die in his throat when Mark interrupts him, “and Jinyoung will be there?”  
  
“Well yeah, but-”  
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll come. I said I'd help you make him jealous, didn't I?”

Mark’s voice sounds cold, a little angry even. But Jaebum can’t quite figure out why. The words hurt him. He wishes they didn’t, but that’s all this is. All it’s _supposed_ to be. He can't expect Mark to think— to feel —anything more.  
   
It's been two weeks, not too long, but just long enough for Jaebum to figure out how he feels.  
  
That first was full of attempts of to make Jinyoung jealous. In the classes Jaebum shared with Jinyoung, Mark would pick him up at the end. They would kiss, Mark slinging an arm around Jaebum as he escorted him out, making sure to be extra showy.  
  
That continued along with other displays of fake romance and affection. Jaebum attended Mark’s basketball games (which were also Jinyoung's basketball games). Mark watched Jaebum’s dance showcases. (The same way Jinyoung now watched Yugyeom's dance showcases.)  
  
Around the second week is when Jaebum realized he looked forward to seeing _Mark_ all time. He always had when they were in highschool too, how could he not, they were best friends.  
  
But it's different now. He never searched the crowd for Jinyoung’s eyes, only Mark’s. And when he found them, it made him smile in a way he never had before.  
  
He didn't care to see if his ex-boyfriend was looking during performances, he cared if Mark was looking. Because he wanted to make Mark proud, wanted to see Mark smile up at him from the audience and cheer him on.  
  
Now approaching the fourteenth day of their arrangement, Jaebum’s entirely sure he’s always liked Mark. Maybe just as a friend at first, but now, maybe as something more.

It seemed a little _too fast—_ realizing how much you like someone after two weeks of being together (or rather pretending to be together). But to Jaebum, it was more that two weeks; it nearly seven years.  
  
“I know that, it's just-” _  
  
_“I gotta go, pick me up whenever.”

“Wait, Mark-”

Mark hangs up before Jaebum can say another word. He nearly screams and all the passing students in the area turn to look at the guy who’s currently kicking a tree in frustration.

## ### ##

****

Jaebum looks around the room and he spots Mark standing by the countertop full of alcohol in the kitchen. He can only sees the older’s back, but that's all he needs to know is him. He wonders what Mark is looking at. What on the other side of the room could possibly be worth the attention of Mark Tuan?  
  
Jaebum still sitting on the ugly red sofa he was when Mark left him. He checks his watch. In the thirteen minutes and forty nine seconds he's been alone, he hasn't done anything but think about the older. How do you tell your best friend you've fallen in love with them? Especially in such a shitty situation. How does Mark feel? The last thing Jaebum would ever want to do is hurt him.

It’s Jaebum’s fault, he's the one who had the whole idea in the first place.  
  
Going into this whole ordeal, Jaebum was heartbroken. Jinyoung was his first real relationship in the last two years. It feels like all he knows is how to be Jinyoung's boyfriend. So in asking Mark to fake date him, it was more of a way to cling on to some familiar than anything else.  
  
But he wasn't just Jinyoung’s boyfriend. And now that they are broken up, he’s not just Jinyoung’s _ex-_ boyfriend _._ He’s Jaebum. His own person, with different taste in films, books, music.  
  
And now that he knows he likes Mark, he wants nothing more than to finally ask him out. For real— Not under the circumstances of making Jaebum’s ex jealous. His last five days were all full attempts to get Mark to go on an actual date with him, but it hasn't been working. Mostly due to the fact that Jaebum can't find the courage to tell Mark that he likes him.  
  
Jaebum clears his throat, takes a sip of the disgusting alcohol, and starts waving to Mark. He waves back smiling and it makes Jaebum's heart swell. He doesn't even notice when the older is right in front of him, somehow having walked across the room in what feels like seconds.  
  
Mark’s holding two drinks and he shoves a hand out to give one to Jaebum. The movement’s fast and some beer spills over the side.  
  
Mark mouths a small _oops_ and it’s cute, so Jaebum laughs, “How sweet. Don't I have the best boyfriend ever?”

He gives Mark a small peck on the cheek.  
  
They've kissed before this thing even started. Multiple times. It was bound to happen in all their years of friendship. The first time being on a dare when they were both in high school sophomore year. It was weird and uncomfortable for Jaebum. He didn't talk to Mark for almost a week after that.  
  
The next time was two and a half years later during the beginning of their freshman year in university. Jaebum was amidst a sexuality crisis and didn't know what to do but talk to his best friend— who also just so happened to be the only person he knew that was out of the closet.  
  
Jaebum spends the next twenty or so minutes of the party talking to random people about random things, like their class assignments or weird gossip they've heard about teachers.  
  
Mark gets up a few times to talk to some people too, but he always comes back to sit next to Jaebum afterwards. He seems like he's having fun and Jaebum's really glad.  
  
All of sudden someone's yelling about how they should all play a game.  
  
“What kind?” Jaebum's not a game type of person but he asks anyways.  
  
He hears Mark groan and it makes him frown. Before he can question it, the loud kid in front of them decides on playing seven minutes in heaven and they've already chosen Jaebum to go first. Now he’s supposed to spin a beer bottle to choose which idiot he has to be locked in a room with for some tedious amount of minutes. If he's lucky, it'll be Mark.  
  
Jaebum’s never had the best of luck though. The bottle lands on Jinyoung.  
  
“Oh.”  
  
He stares at Jinyoung for awhile. He doesn't really know what to say, but he starts talking anyway. “Look, we don't have to do this. It’s just a game.”

He says it more for his own benefit than Jinyoung’s.  
  
“No, it's okay. I want to.”  
  
Jaebum’s a little dumbfounded seeing that Jinyoung’s actually willing to talk to him. He would have thought that Jinyoung hates his guts by now. They didn't end on bad terms or anything— but if he's honest with himself, he's probably being pretty annoying with whole _flaunting my fake boyfriend to make you jealous_ thing.  
  
He just nods in response.  
  
Soon enough, they are being put in a small room that's filled to the brim with jackets thrown in there throughout the night.  
  
Jaebum doesn't know what to say and Jinyoung can probably tell because he's intuitive like that and he starts the conversation.  
  
“Look, Jaebum are we okay? I don't know what’s been going on with you recently.”  
  
“You don't know what's been going on with me?” Jaebum scoffs and it’s bitter. “You broke up with me, Jinyoung.”  
  
“That’s not fair, Jaebum. You- You can't say that.”  
  
“I know. I know, I’m sorry.” It’s a low blow. The break up isn't really Jinyoung’s fault, Jaebum just doesn't want to admit what's actually bothering him. “It's just… Jinyoung, can I ask you something?”  
  
He nods.  
  
“Yugyeom. Is he the reason you broke up with me?”  
  
Jinyoung inhales and Jaebum’s half scared he's asked something he doesn't want to know the answer to. “Jaebum, I broke up with you because neither of us were happy with that relationship.”  
  
“You weren't happy?” Jaebum doesn't like the way his voice sounds when he asks.  
  
“I don't mean it like that. I loved you, Jaebum, and I always will, you're one of my best friends. But think about it. Do you know how often we fought? Yeah we were happy sometimes. But the rest of the time? I swear to god you hated me. I was always getting mad at you for spending so much time Mark. And then you'd get mad at me for being jealous, it was a mess.”  
  
Jaebum knows Jinyoung’s right and he’s not just figuring this out now. He’s known for some time that they never really were the best couple.  
  
“With Yugyeom it's different, and I’m…” he seems to struggles to find the right words.  
  
“Do you love him?”  
  
“I don't know,” Jinyoung smiles. He does that whenever he thinks about Yugyeom, Jaebum notices. “It’s only been a week, but I like him a lot.”  
  
“That’s good, I'm happy for you.”  
  
“What about Mark?”  
  
“What about him?”  
  
“Don’t be dumb, do you love him?”  
  
Oh. Jaebum shouldn't be surprised that Jinyoung knows he likes Mark. He’s always been able to read him easily. Well that and the fact that he's been pretending to date the older for half a month. “Yeah, I do.”  
  
“That’s good.”

_“The seven minutes are up! You guys can stop fucking in there!”  
_  
They both laugh and it's nice. It’s the first time since their break up that Jaebum feels like it wasn't all his fault. It’s relieving.  
  
“C’mon your boyfriend’s probably about to break the door down and try to kick my ass.”  
  
“Oh yeah, Yugyeom kind of hates you.”  
  
“What! Why?”  
  
“Jaebum, have you or have you not been flirting with me since we broke up?”  
  
“Not fair,” Jaebum whines, “that was only the first week after, okay, I admit it was stupid. But what else was I supposed to do, you dumped me for a freshman!”

Jinyoung’s not even trying to hold back his laughter.

“Wait a minute, so you could tell I was trying to make you jealous?”  
  
“Yeah of course.”  
  
“And you didn't say anything? Nothing like ‘ _Hey Jaebum leave me alone because we’re never getting back together and you’re wasting your time, you dipshit’_?”  
  
“I’m telling you now, aren't I?”  
  
“I hate you.”  
  
The second they step out, Jaebum sees Yugyeom practically jump out of his seat and over to Jinyoung. He seems to really like the boy just as much.  
  
His smiles falls when he notices Mark isn't there. “Where did Mark go?”  
  
He’s not asking anyone in particular so a random girl on his right answers. “Oh I think he left like a minute ago? I don't know why.”  
  
“Shit.”  
  
Jaebum grabs his jacket from where he had thrown it on the couch earlier. He grabs Mark’s too because it's cold outside and apparently he forgot it. Mark couldn't have gotten very far. He’s not the most coordinate drunk and the most he could have done in a couple minutes is walk across the oddly vacant yard of the frat house.  
  
Jaebum finds out he’s right when he exits the building and sees Mark still outside attempting to walk home in the freezing cold with just his black t-shirt and jeans.  
  
“Mark!” When he hears Jaebum’s voice, he just starts walking faster. “Mark, can you stop running away from me for one second?”  
  
He doesn't listen.

“Mark, will you tell me what’s wrong?”

“Leave me alone, Jaebum.”

“Mark!” Jaebum's trying to catch up to older but he trips over his own feet because he's not sober and that's what happens when he tries to walk faster than his body can manage.

It gets Mark to finally stop and turn around to look at him. “You want to know what’s wrong, Jaebum? This whole pretend boyfriend thing? I can't do it anymore.”  
  
“Mark.”

“No, you wanted me to talk, just- please let me talk. I have to say this.” He takes a breath while pausing and it makes Jaebum nervous. “I like you, Jaebum. As more than just a friend.”  
  
It might be the alcohol or the fact that he just tried to sprint across fifteen meters in five seconds, but Jaebum thinks his heart might have stopped.  
  
“I like you a lot. I like how passionate you are about your dancing, and how you always want to do better even though you're literally the best dancer I’ve ever met. I like how you're always sending me the names of books you loved that week. I like your dumb obsession with movies. I like you, Jaebum.” 

He doesn’t give a response, doesn’t even know what he would say, because Mark’s already continuing.

“And I know it’s shitty, I feel shitty. You like Jinyoung and I’m supposed to be helping you win him back. You're my best friend, Jaebum, and you don't have to say anything back, okay. I don't want this to be the reason we end up never talking up again because you've finally realized what an asshole I am."  
  
“Jaebum?”  
  
Mark’s just poured out this heartfelt confession and Jaebum doesn't know what to say. He looks him in the eyes and just stares. There’s so much he wants to say to tell the older. He want to part his lips and speak words of love and whatever else they did in that over dramatic romantic comedy he saw last week. And this time he does, because now he isn’t afraid. He has no reason to be. 

Though, maybe not in the best way. In fact, when Jaebum starts talking, he kind of sounds like dick more than a person in love.  
  
“Are you kidding me, Mark? You feel shitty? If anyone should feel shitty it's me.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I’ve been letting you pretend to be my boyfriend for the last week even though I don’t fucking care about Jinyoung anymore.” Jaebum laughs at the situation because it all seems so stupid. Only them two would somehow find a way to be completely oblivious to fact that they _both_ like each other.  
  
“I- I don't understand. If you don't like Jinyoung anymore, then why are we still doing this?” Jaebum knows Mark’s confused, and it’s understable, but it still frustrates him.  
  
“Because I like you, Mark! And I’ve been trying to get you to realize that for the last week. I mean I don't know, maybe it's my fault anyways. I didn't really tell you with words like I probably should have,” he’s rambling, he knows he is. “Why do you think I’ve been asking you out everyday for the last week? I didn't want to come here for Jinyoung, Mark, I wanted to come here for you.”  
  
Mark doesn't speak for a minute. It’s silent and they’re staring at each other. Then all of a sudden he's walking towards Jaebum.

“You like me? You like me. Are you fucking kidding me, Jaebum? You don't get to say that and act like I’m the one who’s fucking oblivious, okay?”  
  
“Mark.”

“You dumbass.” Mark’s scary when he’s angry and Jaebum half thinks he’s about to get it punched. Mark doesn’t punch him though, he laughs. “Just tell me one thing.”

“Anything.”

“Back inside, when you and Jinyoung were together… did you kiss him?”

“He’s dating Yugyeom, Mark. Do you really think I would do that?”

“Well I don’t know, Jaebum, you just spent a week trying to get Jinyoung back, didn’t you?”

Jaebum gawks. “Why do people focus so much on the past? That was a week ago!”

This time Mark punches him in the shoulder. They’re both laughing and for once Jaebum doesn’t feel like his heart’s going to break.

Jaebum thinks this is about the time where the leading couple in a film would probably kiss. So he goes to do just that. But Mark beats him to it. He’s not that much shorter than Jaebum, but he still chooses reaches up on his toes to kiss him.

“Mark, will you be my boyfriend? For real this time?”

“No.”

“Oh come on, Mark!”

Mark smiles. “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s good enough for me!”

Jaebum practically sweeps Mark off his feet when he kisses him again. If this were a movie, some uplifting song would play as they walk off into the sunset and spend the rest of their lives together.

What actually happens is the two of them go back to the party and become the annoying couple who makes out in front of everyone without any semblance of shame.

 

☆☆☆☆☆  
  


  1. **TOGETHER**



**_  
_** They're still friends with Jinyoung. They have to be, he did nothing wrong. At first it was a little rocky, especially between Mark and Yugyeom. There were awkward silences and times where they avoided each other. But it didn't last long. They were friends before dating. He still the same Jinyoung who likes to make pretentious regards about literature, and likes to tease his friends for their lack of good music taste. He's just not _Jaebum’s_ Jinyoung anymore.  
  
Mark’s laying down on his bed chest first, Jaebum’s next to him. They’re watching some really confusing short film from 2004 that Jaebum says is the best of their time on his three year old laptop.

They’ve been doing this almost every Sunday for the last year and half of being in college. The only difference is that they’re dating now, for about four months. And life's good, really good if Mark’s one to talk. Nothing's really changed expect their label as best friends to boyfriends. They still talk everyday and hang out twenty-four seven just like they've always done.  
  
“Mark.”  
  
He hums in response, shoving handfuls of popcorn into his mouth while attentively staring at the laptop screen. He’s not sure why Jaebum likes this movie so much, it’s nothing special. Just interesting enough that he’s invested to see how it ends.  
  
“Mark, look at me.”  
  
Mark only needs to turn his head slightly to face Jaebum because the younger’s right there on his left. “What?”  
  
“I love you.”  
  
“Oh shut up.” He shoves Jaebum a little and laughs at how annoyingly affectionate he always is.  
  
“I’m serious!”  
  
Mark pauses the movie because doesn’t want to miss anything while talking. He won’t admit it, but it’s ending up to be better than he expected. “Why are you so sappy all the time?”  
  
Jaebum scoffs like Mark just said the most offensive thing anyone could possibly say to him. It’s cute and Mark resists the urge to kiss him right there, he lets Jaebum speak first.

“Says the one who drunkenly proclaimed his love for me and how much he likes everything about me because he couldn’t handle my affection.”

“You’re an asshole. You know that, right?” Mark starts throwing some popcorn at him.

“Yeah. You love me though.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Mark!”

“Yeah, Jaebum, I do love you.”


End file.
